What's after Graduation for Students in a Campus Support Program for Foster Care Alumni?

Overview: Campus support programs assist students with a history of foster care in college, but little is known about their lives post-graduation. This study examines their experiences after college. Finding suggest to promote educational equity, more efforts must be made to assist students with foster care experience to succeed after graduation.Proposal text:

Background: Education is a fundamental human right and postsecondary education has become more of a necessity in achieving social and economic stability in the U.S. However, students who have experienced homelessness and non-traditional family care arrangements (e.g., foster care, relative care, and ward of the state status) are often hidden populations in postsecondary education settings and may experience significantly lower rates of access and success in college than those with traditional family backgrounds. An abundance of research has examined student outcomes and experiences while in college (see Geiger & Beltran, 2017a; 2017b for a review), however, very few studies have explored what happens after students graduate from college (Salazar & Schelbe, 2021). Further, little is known about the impact of programs and supports designed for these students.

Study: This mixed methods study examines the experiences of college graduates involved in a campus support program (CSP) serving students who have experienced foster care, homelessness, relative care, or are a ward of the state. The research question was: 1) What are the experiences of those involved in a CSP in the year after graduation? The sample is 59 participants who graduated between 2016 and 2020. Students completed surveys at graduation, 6 months post-graduation, and one-year post-graduation. Students were predominantly female (61%). Fifty-one percent were Black, 22% were White, and 8% were Latino/Hispanic. Data collected included demographic information, experiences in the CSP, and experiences after graduation. Descriptive analyses are presented along with thematic analysis of open-ended responses.

Findings: Most participants reported post-graduation plans including employment or graduate school; however, some did not have plans. A fifth (20%) of participants felt completely prepared; 46% felt fairly prepared for life after graduation and 33% felt completely, somewhat, or not at all prepared for life following graduation. Only 20% were completely confident they would find a job that they were suited for after graduation. Six months after graduation, half were in graduate school and 89% were currently employed (72% employed fulltime). Only 16% felt completely able to pay their bills, and only 44% were paying student loans, with only 6% feeling completely able to pay their students loans. One year after graduation, participants’ responses were similar. Post-graduation, when asked what they would like to change in their lives, participants identified concerns related to money, starting over with few connections, and adjusting to working. To improve the CSP, participants suggested additional assistance to help them navigate life after college. Participants emphasized they could have been bettered prepared for life post-graduation in terms of employment, socialization, and graduate school.

Implications: CSPs help increase student success during college and play a role in preparing for life after graduation when programming includes of establishing plans and supports. Students may leave the university without skills and resources necessary to succeed. CSPs should ensure students are prepared in money management, networking, and developing a support system. Students who are foster care alumni or have history of homelessness may benefit from additional supports and resources that also focus on life outside of college.